Breaking Bad - S05E14 - 09/15/2013

I wonder what Jesse was thinking after Walt, once again, came out on top against his immediate antagonists. I'm remembering how Jesse was both in awe of, and afraid of, Walt because Jesse said (something to the effect of) Walt always wins. And here Jesse thought Walt had finally lost, and Jesse made it happen, and then, oops! Then Jesse is hiding under the car as Hank gets shot in the head, and then Walt yells "Pinkman" and points to where he is hiding!

I believe that last episode it was shown from multiple angles, making it appear to last a lot longer than it actually did. Common Hollywood trickery.
This episode had the real time shootout so that we knew there weren't just "bullets flying everywhere".

(And this is NOT a defense of Walt.. just a defense of character consistency)

After rewatching it, the harsh harsh harsh act of not only executing Jesse but also rubbing salt in the wound by telling him about Jane can be seen as a pure rage lashing out by Walt because of what has just happened.

He was tricked by Jesse to drive out into the desert. He was betrayed by Jesse who went to Hank. Hank (a member of his family) was just killed. And now Walt is losing most of his money to guys with swastikas on their hands. All of that happened as a result of Jesse calling him to the desert. Because of that call, Hank is dead now. Rage.

Before he ordered Jesse's death but said he was like family and to make it quick and painless. Now he wanted it to hurt - because of rage.

I think that the fact that it's RAGE that makes him tell Jesse about Jane (rather than it being "Walt is just pure evil now - that's all he does") makes other scenes still possible (like him saving his family on that call). I find it far more compelling to see Walt as someone who's done awful awful things but still thinks the same way that others think, rather than that he's become some unrecognizable foreign monster of evil that no one can even slightly comprehend.

I think that the fact that it's RAGE that makes him tell Jesse about Jane (rather than it being "Walt is just pure evil now - that's all he does") makes other scenes still possible (like him saving his family on that call). I find it far more compelling to see Walt as someone who's done awful awful things but still thinks the same way that others think, rather than that he's become some unrecognizable foreign monster of evil that no one can even slightly comprehend.

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I think that's what makes Breaking Bad as a whole compelling. Even if we don't agree with the characters' justifications for their actions, we at least find it believable that they feel justified about making those choices.

The Aryan Brotherhood are about the closest to "pure evil" characters that are on the show, but even they have "considerate Todd" going for them.

This episode contrasted where things started to where they are now, and the stark difference was not created by any character "turning to evil", but rather by making concessions to their morality little by little because the "ends justified the means".

Most evil in the world is not committed by villains who wish to commit evil for evil's sake, but by people who have slowly made their way down a dark path. And as their eyes adjust to the darkness, things don't seem quite so bad.

It's too bad Vince didn't write the Star Wars prequels. I think he could have made Vader's turn much more compelling.

Fantastic episode, my big questions are did Saul set up the guy for Walt to disappear and did Saul disappear as well. Walt sure took a risk waiting by the road with his barrel. Jesse is living in pure hell now especially knowing about Jayne. If Walts cover for Skylar works I don't see how Marie can even be around her even if she buys the cover, she probably will for the kids sake

Plus, it did have to be convincing enough to fool police, prosecuting attorneys, and potentially juries. Having Holly helped sell it too (and it put Skyler in the right frame of mind for when the cops got there). She <I>felt</I> like the victim there - Walt just took her baby.

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He had to take Holly to ensure an adequate police presence when he called Skyler.
Otherwise they could have simply written up a domestic disturbance and left the White residence before he had a chance to complete that call.
He needed as many witnesses to that conversation as possible.

I was hoping they would somehow fit in "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!", but alas, it was only implied.

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You mean Walt actually quoting the poem as dialog within the episode? Or more like a voiceover, as though the pre-season promo were an actual clip from the show? I guess I wasn't really expecting either of those.

As it was, I'd say the opening scene, with the RV disappearing into the desert, was a pretty good allusion. There's also this:

I think Walt had the rage towards Jesse because he dragged Walt's family into the mess more than they were before. Walt knew that Hank knew that he was Heisenberg, but couldn't prove it. With Jesse there was enough to get even Gomez into it.

That said, it was interesting to see Walt be - as someone said - have so much RAGE at Jesse. To out him to the Arayan guys, to order the execution and to tell him about Jane.

After doing all the reading about why Walt talked to Skylar on the phone the way he did, it made me wonder if Walt did it to change the way the Arayans - and it seemed it worked for Todd - see Jesse.

I guess not, but there is a small sliver of hope that there is a Jesse/Walt makeup scene at the end and they go out like Butch and Sundance.

This episode was great because it not only showed Walt's family destroyed because of his actions, but the closest thing Jesse had to a family potentially being destroyed because of his.

Walt was ready to turn himself in, thinking, "Okay, fine. I will pay for my actions." Jesse was ready to die, thinking, "Okay, fine. This is my punishment for my sins."
But it finally hit home with both of them that the consequences of their actions would be something worse than their own suffering.

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Good call. I felt it but couldn't put that in words, but that certainly makes sense.

Walt's face as he calls Skylar is memorable. The crying and the screaming are not for the same reason. There is definitely something in Skylar's eyes when Walt starts getting harsher and harsher. She knows that even at his worst he wouldn't say those things, and it was for her to be able to spin to the cops what really happened to keep her out of it. The thing is with Marie there, it is much tougher.

I knew something was up with the phone call, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I don't feel bad, though - he fooled all those police, fooling us is just proof that he was believable.

I think Heisenberg/Walter White is my favorite TV character ever. What do you do after this if you're Cranston???

I also believe the shots in the the beginning were just meant to put us back at present time, and not show the whole shootout.

This has been the most satisfying final season to any show I've ever watched. There have been slow episodes here and there over the course of the series, but never the feeling that there was no direction, or jumping of the shark. I can't imagine them dropping the ball now.

He had to take Holly to ensure an adequate police presence when he called Skyler.
Otherwise they could have simply written up a domestic disturbance and left the White residence before he had a chance to complete that call.
He needed as many witnesses to that conversation as possible.

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While I'm 100% certain that Walt was intentionally giving Skylar an "out" in his phone call to her, and I'm 80% sure that she picked up on it, I'm 95% sure that Walt taking Holly with him was not part of some plan, not even one formulated in the heat of the moment as he fled the house. He took her because she was the only member of his family that he could get to go with him. It wasn't until he was changing her, and she called out for her Mama, that he decided he would have to continue on without her.

Also: while it may sound odd to say it, I thought Holly did some mighty fine acting in this episode. Normally, small children totally kill the moment, for me (e.g. Harrison, on Dexter - that kid couldn't act his way off a treadmill). But in this episode, Holly totally nailed her performance.

I'm 95% sure that Walt taking Holly with him was not part of some plan, not even one formulated in the heat of the moment as he fled the house. He took her because she was the only member of his family that he could get to go with him. It wasn't until he was changing her, and she called out for her Mama, that he decided he would have to continue on without her.

Also: while it may sound odd to say it, I thought Holly did some mighty fine acting in this episode. Normally, small children totally kill the moment, for me (e.g. Harrison, on Dexter - that kid couldn't act his way off a treadmill). But in this episode, Holly totally nailed her performance.

I knew something was up with the phone call, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I don't feel bad, though - he fooled all those police, fooling us is just proof that he was believable.

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It reminds me of Newsroom, where they had a video-doctoring storyline, and in order to make it obvious enough for "the average viewer," they made it so obvious no professional (like the entire cast of the show) would ever fall for it.

Clearly, Breaking Bad either trusts its audience more, or is more willing to go over their heads (or both).

Also: while it may sound odd to say it, I thought Holly did some mighty fine acting in this episode. Normally, small children totally kill the moment, for me (e.g. Harrison, on Dexter - that kid couldn't act his way off a treadmill). But in this episode, Holly totally nailed her performance.

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(Not sure if you're serious, but...) I was wondering about the baby. It was pretty obvious that the verbal stuff was dubbed. I wonder if there was any computer enhancement on the facial expressions? Because that scene did seem far too perfect for, well, somebody who is pretty much incapable of taking direction.

I'm 95% sure that Walt taking Holly with him was not part of some plan, not even one formulated in the heat of the moment as he fled the house. He took her because she was the only member of his family that he could get to go with him. It wasn't until he was changing her, and she called out for her Mama, that he decided he would have to continue on without her.

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I totally agree with this. She was the only "family" left that didn't turn on him, and maybe for just a moment, he thought he could "start over" with just the two of them.. but realized that was not the right thing to do "for his family".